Condiment-holder.



A. J. BENNETT. UONDIMBNT HOLDER.

APPLIOATIOH FILED APR. 19.1909.

Patented June 15, 1909.

ARTHUR JAMES BENNETT, OF CAMBRIDGE, OHIO.

CONDIIMENT-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 19, 1909.

Patented June 15, 1909.

Serial No. 490,907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambrid 'e, in the county of Guernsey and State of hi0, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Condiment-Holders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of dispensing receptacles or condiment holders, and particularly those which are used to supply powdered or comminuted substances, such as salt and pepper.

It is well known that finely divided substances, particularly salt, have a tendency to become massed and lumpy under unfavorable conditions, as in damp weather, and in such condition to render their dispensing cans or containers practically useless, either by forming lumps or sticking to and cloggin the openings in the to As is also we known, lump-breakers 0 various forms have been employed, but these have always com prised extra parts inserted in the receptacle, and have been found generally inconvenient in that they take up a large part of the interior of the vessel, the material clogs about the breakers as well as lumping of itself, and there is always the annoying rattle of the breaker against the sides and top of the shaker.

It is my object to improve the general structure of this class of articles, and to provide a lump-breaker and dispenser which will not involve the use of an extra part, thereby increasing the vessels ca acity, while also insuring a good feed to t e dispensing mouth.

A further object is to rovide a lumpbreaker which will act witli a grinding and cutting action on lumps, thereby wearing away graduall hard lumps which will not break by striking against the breaker or disintegrater.

It is also an object to construct a dispenser which combines with an integral breaker, a formation which will permit a certain graduated feed from the dispensing mouth, thereby avoiding the too rapid discharge of material Which usually attends the operation of a salt holder.

With the above objects in view, my improved dispensing receptacle will now be more full described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof, and in which Figure 1, is a side elevation of the shaker, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof, and Fig. 3, is a sectional view throu h the disensing portion of said shaker, ta (en on the inc 33 of Fig. 2.

In said drawings, 1 indicates the bed of the shaker, which may, with equal app icability, be square or round or of any other conformation; and may be of any material, as glass or composition. Said body 1 is formed with a substantially cylindrical interior, the annular surface 2 thereof extending uninterruptedly from top to bottom of the body. At its upper end said bod T 1 is rovided with an external screw thread 3, w ose function will hereinafter appear, and which is referably cut deeply enough into the said ody to form a slight annular shoulder 4.

Resting in the mouth of the body 1, and closing the c *lindrical interior is an annular member 5, w ich is surrounded by a dome 6. Said member 5, com rises an annulus which rests on the upper e go of the bod 1 and a depending flange, preferably forme as a part of said annulus, which de ends within and fits against the surface 2, t ereby serving to center the same. Said member 5 is positioned and maintained on its seat by means of a sleeve 7, which is interiorly threaded to coact with the aforesaid threads 3, formed on the body 1, and has an inwardly extending flange 8 which bears against the upper surface of the member 5, the lower edge of the sleeve 7, when in this latter osition, bearing a ainst the shoulder 4, there y giving a cometed or finished appearance to the article. S aid dome 6, is cone-shaped and is mounted on said member 5 substantially at the inner annular edge thereof, so that the interior of the dome is flush and practically one with the inner surface of said member 5. On its exterior and interior surfaces said conesha ed dome is provided with corrugations or utes 9 and 10, said flutes being wider at the base of said dome, and taperin and converging toward a dispensing mout or a erture 11 at the upper end of said dome. he interior flutes 10 are formed to project beyond the annular surface of the member 5, thereby presenting points in the path of sub stances contained in the receptacle, and the upstanding edges 12 (Fig. 3) of flutes 10 are substantially knife-edged throughout their lengths.

]t is evident from the above that lumps of salt or other material, upon being shaken down into the dome 6, and subjei ted to the usual shaking given to a salt shaker in operation, will be thrown against said points and edges 12, and subjected to an abrading and cutting action, thereby gradually and. effectively wearing away the lumps with sufficient rapidity to afford a substantial supply. It is also evident that said flutes, by reason of their convergence, rovide a series of channels 13 which all ead to the aperture 11. Thus, when it is desired to supply only a very small amount of the contained substance, these channels act as feeders, separating the said substance into several streams, and directing it in manageable quantities toward the opening or a erture 1]. Otherwise, the substance wouli issue toward said. aperture 9 in a heavy unregu lable body, and either supply too large a quantity or none at all.

It is obvious from the above that my im proved device is well adapted to serve the pur ose reviously set forth, and it is also evi ent t lat there are details of construction, as the conformation of the body and the particular sha e of the dome which may be varied while sti l keeping within the scope of my invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A condiment shaker, comprising in combination with a hollow body, a cap rigidly secured to said body, said cap comprising a hollow cone having an opening at its apex, and having a series of ridges formed around its interior, said ridges projecting into the path of the contents of the body, and comprising sharpened projections which conver e toward said opening to abrade lumpe substances.

2. A condiment shaker, comprising in combination with a hollow body, a cap rigidly secured to said body, said cap comprising a hollow cone having an o ening at its apex, and having a series of a ternate projecting edges and channels, the former serv ing to abrade lumps and the latter serving to feed comminuted substance to said opening.

3. A condiment shaker, comprislng, in

combination with a hollow body, a cap seated on said body and means for securing said cap to said body, said cap comprising an annulus resting on the upper edge of said body, a depending flange formed on said annulus to fit within said body to center said annulus, a cone formed on said annulus and having an opening at its apex, and a series of ridges forming abrading edges and feed channels formed in said cone, and said sccuring means comprising a sleeve threaded on said body and having an inwardly projecting flange which engages and retains said annulus when said sleeve is screwed on said body.

4;. A condiment shaker, comprising in combination with a hollow body, a cap, said cap comprising an annulus adapted to seat upon the upper edge of said body, a depending flange 'formed around the inner lower edge of said annulus and adapted to bear against the inner surface of said, body, and a cone formed on the upper face of said annulus, and a sleeve for retaining said cap, said sleeve comprising a threaded. portion adapted to screw on said body and an inwardly extended flange adapted to bear on said upper face of said annulus and closely surround the base of said cone.

5. A condiment shaker comprising in combination with a hollow body, a cap, said cap comprising an annulus adapted to seat upon the upper edge of said body, a depend ing flange formed around the inner lower edge of said annulus and adapted to bear against the inner surface of said body, and a cone formed on the upper face of said annulus, said cone having a single distributing opening at its apex, and means for securing said cap in place, comprising a threaded sleeve adapted to screw on said body, and an inwardly extended flange adapted. to bear on the upper surface of said annulus and. closely embrace the base of said cone, whereby to secure said cap and prevent sidewise movement thereof.

In testimony'whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR JAMES BENNETT.

Witnesses MARGARET E. MAFFETT, CHAS. S. TURNBAUGII. 

